This Blogfest is the brainchild of Teralyn Rose Pilgrim. For a full list of all the participants, check out her blog, A Writer's Journey. Here's the skinny:
*Pick your top five favorite books
*Between Jun 20 and 22, write one line of what each book is about and then write one line of why you liked it. Think of it like a twitter pitch for other people’s work. Semi-colons are cheating, but you can use them anyway.
*Go to other blogs and discuss the books.
*If you do not keep a blog, put your challenge in the comments on the day of the event.
I'm always game for a top five list. If you're a new reader, come back and check out my Fast Five Fridays. The Twitter pitch idea caught my attention, so let me see if I can pull that off.
5) Geek Love, Katherine Dunn: The owners of a traveling circus alter the genes of their children, breeding the ultimate money-making freak show.
The premise is outrageous on the surface, but it is spot-on satire if you look a little deeper.
4) The Book Thief, Markus Zusak: A young girl learns the power of the written word in Nazi Germany.
Zusak's language is unique and frequently profound, and the story is disarmingly beautiful.
3) The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger: Teen angst at it's very best.
There's nothing phony about Holden Caulfield.
2) The Road, Cormac McCarthy: A father and son struggle to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Parents guide their kids down the road, but one day they must walk alone.
1) To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee: A young girl comes of age in the Depression-era South.
Scout and Atticus are two of the most memorable characters in literature.
You don't have to do a full five, but how about a Twitter synopsis for at least one of your favorites, and another Tweet explaining what you love about it.
I almost put To Kill a Mockingbird. If we could have put 10 instead of 5 then it would have definitely made my list. I have also read the Catcher in the Rye, but never heard of the others. They sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm on board with To Kill a Mockingbird, The Road, and The Book Thief. All excellent novels. Never heard of Geek Love -- what a concept.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun seeing what everyone's favorites are.
Tim- perfect one line pitch (at least on the books I've read!) Geek Love sounds zany--my kind of book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this!
(Mockingbird is gold. Can't wait for my kids to pick it up.) ;-)
there is 1 I haven't read, the others are fabulous
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting challenge - and my 'to read' list is just getting longer!
ReplyDeleteI bought To Kill a Mockingbird earlier today, so I'll finally be able to fill that gap in my culture. :-)
I didn't think about The Catcher in the Rye--that is a good read.
ReplyDeleteI've almost bought The Book Thief several times - now I really will have to buy it. Thanks for the reviews!
ReplyDeleteTim, I read The Book Thief about a month ago based on your recommendation - what a book! It really sticks with you. The writing is almost poetic - not in a flowery way, but in a way that uses words, pictures and ideas that get under your skin. One of the freshest voices in literature that I've read in a long time.
ReplyDeleteAs for the challenge....I'll pick 10lb. Penalty by Dick Francis: A coming-of-age whodunit centered in the worlds of British racing and local politics.
A father and son relationship that rings true, with great insider views of a political campaign.
Everyone should read all these books but especially "The Book Thief."
ReplyDeleteI added a couple of these to my TBR - read "Mockingbird" and "Book Thief", they were both great!
ReplyDeletegreat list. I am reading The time Thief at the moment.
ReplyDeleteExcellent favorites!! I've heard great things about The Book Thief, but I have yet to read it!
ReplyDeleteTo Kill a Mockingbird is a must-read classic. :) Thanks for sharing.
~TRA
http://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
Tim~
ReplyDeleteI hope you have time for a game of Blog Tag, because "TAG," you're it!!
As always, a very interesting post. I'm glad that some of your favourites coincide with mine :)
ReplyDeleteJust read The Road and loved it. As depressing as it was. Great idea, and nice post here.
ReplyDelete